1.Anxiety in hospitalised families: lessons from the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Annushkha SINNATHAMBY ; Siau Hwei NG ; Amanda ZAIN ; Liangjian LU ; Celeste YONG ; Xinyi THONG ; Si Min CHAN
Singapore medical journal 2025;66(6):327-332
INTRODUCTION:
In the early phase of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, children with COVID-19 in Singapore required hospital isolation. We aimed to explore the psychological experiences of children and their caregivers isolated in a tertiary university hospital due to COVID-19.
METHODS:
A prospective mixed-methods design was used to evaluate the psychological status of hospitalised family units with one or more children aged <18 years who had severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Patient medical records were reviewed for demographic and clinical information. Parents and children ≥7 years of age underwent a psychologist-administered telephone-based interview. Self-reported, age-appropriate instruments, Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire, and Screen for Adult/Child Anxiety-Related Disorders, were used to assess anxiety and depression, respectively. Participants were also interviewed qualitatively.
RESULTS:
Fifteen family units were hospitalised between March 2020 and May 2020. Of these, 13 (73%) family units were recruited. The median age of the children and median hospitalisation duration were 57 months and 21 days, respectively. Median number of COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction swabs performed for each child was eight. All children had asymptomatic to mild SARS-CoV-2 disease. The criteria indicative of anxiety disorder were met by 40% of adults and 80% of children, while the criteria indicative of separation anxiety were met by 60% of parents and 100% of children. One child met the criteria indicative of depression. Uncertainty, separation, prolonged hospitalisation and frequent swabs caused significant reported anxiety.
CONCLUSIONS
Families, especially children, had heightened anxiety while in hospital isolation. Therefore, home-based recovery from COVID-19 and psychological support for children and their families, with focus on early recognition of anxiety disorders, are recommended. We support review of paediatric isolation policy as the pandemic evolves.
Humans
;
COVID-19/epidemiology*
;
Male
;
Child
;
Female
;
Singapore/epidemiology*
;
Anxiety/etiology*
;
Prospective Studies
;
Adolescent
;
Hospitalization
;
SARS-CoV-2
;
Adult
;
Child, Preschool
;
Pandemics
;
Parents/psychology*
;
Caregivers/psychology*
;
Family/psychology*
;
Depression
;
Patient Isolation/psychology*
;
Surveys and Questionnaires
2.Congrong San ameliorates cognitive impairment and neuroinflammation in rat model of Alzheimer's disease by alleviating endoplasmic reticulum stress to inhibit NLRP3 inflammasome activation.
Yuan-Qin CAI ; Yang XIANG ; Qing-Hua LONG ; Xi WANG ; Chu-Hua ZENG
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(7):1881-1888
This study aims to investigate the effect of Congrong San(CRS) on endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced neuroinflammation in the rat model of Aβ_(1-42)-induced Alzheimer's disease(AD). Sixty male Sprague-Dawley rats(2 months old) were randomized into blank(CON), model(MOD), low-dose Congrong San(L-CRS), medium-dose Congrong San(M-CRS), high-dose Congrong San(H-CRS), and memantine hydrochloride(MJG) groups. The Morris water maze test was carried out to examine the learning and memory abilities of rats in each group. Hematoxylin-eosin staining and Nissl staining were employed to observe the morphology and number of CA1 neurons in the hippocampus of rats in each group. The morphology and structure of the endoplasmic reticulum in the hippocampus were observed by transmission electron microscopy. The immunofluorescence assay was employed to detect the expression of 78 kDa glucose-regulated protein(GRP78) in the hippocampus. Western blot was employed to determine the expression of apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD(ASC), cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase(caspase-1), interleukin-18(IL-18), interleukin-1β(IL-1β), GRP78, and pathway proteins including protein kinase RNA-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase(PERK), phosphorylated PERK(p-PERK), C/EBP homologous protein(CHOP), and NOD-like receptor pyrin domain-containing protein 3(NLRP3) in the rat hippocampus. Compared with the MOD group, the M-CRS and H-CRS groups showed improved learning and memory abilities, reduced neuron losses in the hippocampus, alleviated endoplasmic reticulum stress, inhibited PERK-CHOP-NLRP3 pathway, and lowered levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α). The results suggest that CRS can alleviate cognitive impairment and hippocampal neuron damage and reduce neuroinflammation in AD rats by alleviating endoplasmic reticulum stress to inhibit the activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes.
Animals
;
Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress/drug effects*
;
Male
;
Alzheimer Disease/psychology*
;
NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/metabolism*
;
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
;
Rats
;
Inflammasomes/genetics*
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage*
;
Cognitive Dysfunction/metabolism*
;
Disease Models, Animal
;
Hippocampus/drug effects*
;
Humans
;
Neuroinflammatory Diseases/drug therapy*
3.Research progress on the relationship between maternal depression and adolescent depressive symptoms and family-based interventions.
Ying-Yan ZHONG ; En-Zhao CONG ; Jian-Hua CHEN
Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics 2025;27(10):1185-1190
The prevalence of adolescent depressive symptoms has been rising, and maternal depression is a key predictor. This review synthesizes evidence on mechanisms of influence and on intervention research. The intergenerational transmission of risk from maternal depression appears more pronounced than that associated with paternal depression. At the biological level, genetic susceptibility and neurodevelopmental alterations underpin intergenerational transmission; at the social level, negative parenting practices and stressful family environments create a vicious cycle; at the psychological level, deficits in emotion regulation and insecure attachment amplify vulnerability to depression. Family-based interventions, including cognitive-behavioral therapy and family systems therapy, can mitigate intergenerational transmission. However, more longitudinal research is needed, and future work may integrate digital technologies to develop structured intervention protocols.
Humans
;
Female
;
Adolescent
;
Depression/psychology*
;
Family Therapy
;
Mothers/psychology*
4.Family eating and activity habits: a comparison of nutrition among nurses and non-health professionals in the Arab ethnic minority in Israel.
Aia BUSNAN ; Miriam THEILLA ; Anat AMIT AHARON
Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine 2025;30():94-94
BACKGROUND:
Obesity and diabetes constitute significant health concerns within the Arab population in Israel. The study examines food literacy and self-assessed nutritional variables, which may explain family eating and activity habits among the Arab ethnic minority in Israel. The study examines these variables among professional nurses, who are expected to advocate for healthy behaviors within the population, compared to non-health professionals.
METHODS:
A cross-sectional study compared two groups: professional nurses and non-health professionals. A closed, structured self-report questionnaire (with five sub-sections) assessed food literacy, self-assessed nutrition, and family eating and activity habits. Data was collected between January and May 2022. A MANCOVA was used to compare the research variables among nurses and non-health professionals, and η2 was calculated as the effect size. A multiple linear regression was conducted to examine the variables explaining families' eating and activity habits. The model's significance and variance explained (R2) were calculated.
RESULTS:
The study included 213 Israeli Arab participants (103 nurses and 110 non-health professionals). Nurses showed poorer self-assessed nutrition and family eating/activity habits than non-health professionals. Regression analysis identified profession (β = -0.39, p < 0.001), gender (β = 0.22, p < 0.001), BMI (β = -0.22, p < 0.001), food literacy (β = 0.20 p < 0.001), and self-assessed nutrition (β = 0.30, p < 0.001) as significant predictors of family eating and activity habits. The model was significant (p < 0.001) and explained 38.0% of the variance.
CONCLUSION
Despite their health education background, Arab nurses reported suboptimal nutritional behaviors and unhealthy lifestyles that impact their family lifestyle practices, potentially hindering their health and limiting their effectiveness as health role models. Policymakers should develop ongoing nutrition health promotion programs tailored to the Arab nurses and Arab ethnic minority communities in Israel.
Humans
;
Israel
;
Female
;
Male
;
Arabs/psychology*
;
Adult
;
Cross-Sectional Studies
;
Nurses/statistics & numerical data*
;
Middle Aged
;
Feeding Behavior
;
Minority Groups/statistics & numerical data*
;
Exercise
;
Nutritional Status
;
Family
;
Young Adult
5.The influence of family structure on depression and anxiety symptoms in adolescents: the mediating role of emotional neglect.
Xin-Xin HUANG ; Yu-Ting LI ; Jian-Hua CHEN ; Jing-Jing MA ; En-Zhao CONG ; Yi-Feng XU
Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics 2023;25(1):80-85
OBJECTIVES:
To study the influence of family structure on depression and anxiety symptoms in adolescents and its mechanism.
METHODS:
The cluster sampling method was used to select the students from seven middle schools in Shanghai, China. An online questionnaire survey was conducted using a self-made general status questionnaire, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Children's Depression Inventory, and Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders. The methods including one-way analysis of variance, chi-square test, binary logistic regression analysis, and mediating effect analysis were used to evaluate depression and anxiety symptoms in adolescents and the difference in childhood trauma and its mediating effect.
RESULTS:
Compared with the adolescents from nuclear families, the adolescents from three-generation lineal families had a lower risk of depression symptoms (OR=0.794, 95%CI: 0.649-0.972, P<0.05), while those from host families had a higher risk of depression symptoms (OR=4.548, 95%CI: 1.113-18.580, P<0.05). The adolescents from inter-generational families and host families had a significantly higher score on the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire subscale of emotional neglect (P<0.05). Emotional neglect played a mediating role in the influence of inter-generational families and host families on depression symptoms in adolescents.
CONCLUSIONS
Parents and grandparents have a certain positive effect in family structures. Separation from parents may make adolescents perceive more emotional neglect, which may increase the occurrence of depression symptoms.
Child
;
Humans
;
Adolescent
;
Depression/epidemiology*
;
Family Structure
;
Child Abuse/psychology*
;
China
;
Anxiety/epidemiology*
;
Surveys and Questionnaires
6.Early childhood traffic-related air pollution and risk of allergic rhinitis at 2-4 years of age modification by family stress and male gender: a case-control study in Shenyang, China.
Shuai HAO ; Fang YUAN ; Pai PANG ; Bo YANG ; Xuejun JIANG ; Aihui YAN
Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine 2021;26(1):48-48
BACKGROUND:
Few studies have explored the modifications by family stress and male gender in the relationship between early exposure to traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) and allergic rhinitis (AR) risk in preschool children.
METHODS:
We conducted a case-control study of 388 children aged 2-4 years in Shenyang, China. These children AR were diagnosed by clinicians. By using measured concentrations from monitoring stations, we estimated the exposures of particulate matter less than 10 μm in diameter (PM
RESULTS:
The prevalence of AR in children aged 2-4 years (6.4%) was related to early TRAP exposure. With an IQR (20 μg/m
CONCLUSIONS
Family stress and male gender may increase the risk of AR in preschool children with early exposure to PM
Air Pollution/adverse effects*
;
Case-Control Studies
;
Child, Preschool
;
China/epidemiology*
;
Cities
;
Family/psychology*
;
Female
;
Humans
;
Male
;
Prevalence
;
Rhinitis, Allergic/epidemiology*
;
Risk Factors
;
Stress, Psychological/complications*
;
Traffic-Related Pollution/adverse effects*
8.Social and family factors as determinants of exercise habits in Japanese elementary school children: a cross-sectional study from the Super Shokuiku School Project.
Satomi SAWA ; Michikazu SEKINE ; Masaaki YAMADA ; Yugo FUKAZAWA ; Yusuke HIRAKU
Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine 2020;25(1):54-54
BACKGROUND:
Many studies have already reported on the relationship between exercise habits and health among schoolchildren. However, few have examined social and/or family factors as determinants of exercise habits.
METHODS:
This study's participants included 1721 schoolchildren aged between 6 and 13 who were involved in the Super Shokuiku School Project in January 2016. A survey was conducted to assess gender, grade level, physical activity, lifestyle, overall health, enrichment of school life, social background, and parental lifestyles. Both dislike and lack of physical activity were used to measure poor exercise habits; correlates were analyzed using logistic regression.
RESULTS:
"Lack of close friends" had the strongest links with both dislike (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 5.30; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.78-10.1) and lack of (adjusted OR 5.40; 95% CI, 2.81-10.4) physical activity. Further, children who engaged in long periods of screen time and lacked parental communication also tended to dislike and lack physical activity. Children with mothers who were unemployed (housewives) and had unhealthy lifestyles, as well as those with poor health, were also more likely to lack physical activity.
CONCLUSION
Social and family factors (e.g., having close friends) may be determinants of exercise habits among schoolchildren, independent of their own lifestyle factors. Although a longitudinal study is needed to determine causality, substantial attention may thus be required to these factors when promoting physical activity in children.
Adolescent
;
Age Factors
;
Child
;
Cross-Sectional Studies
;
Exercise
;
psychology
;
Family Characteristics
;
Female
;
Habits
;
Humans
;
Japan
;
Life Style
;
Male
;
Sex Factors
;
Socioeconomic Factors
9.Medical students mental health, professional pride, and intention to work in the frontline during coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.
Juan ZHAN ; Shenghua SUN ; Lihua XIE ; Yijiang WEN ; Jianguo FU
Journal of Central South University(Medical Sciences) 2020;45(6):649-656
OBJECTIVES:
To understand medical students' mental health, professional pride, and intention to work in the front-line during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and provide a reference for psychological intervention.
METHODS:
We used the depression-anxiety-stress scale and self-designed questionnaire on professional pride, intention to work in the front-line and the extent of family support. Medical students from 4 medical schools in Fujian and Hunan were investigated. Their mental health status, professional pride and first-line work willingness with different characteristics were compared, and the influential factors for professional pride and first-line work willingness were analyzed.
RESULTS:
A total of 266 valid questionnaires were collected. During the pandemic, there were significant differences in the proportion of depressed students among different college and universities, majors and stages (<0.05), and the professional pride was significantly different (<0.001). Medical students with different mental health status showed significant differences in professional pride (<0.01). Marriage, pressure and extent of family support were the influential factors for their professional pride (<0.05). The latter two were also influential factors for their intention to work in the front-line (<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
During the pandemic, students from college and nursing have relatively better mental health and higher professional pride. The professional pride is low in medical students who married, with abnormal stress or low family support. The intention to work in front-line is decreased in students with abnormal stress or low family support.
Betacoronavirus
;
China
;
Coronavirus Infections
;
psychology
;
Family
;
Humans
;
Intention
;
Mental Health
;
Pandemics
;
Pneumonia, Viral
;
psychology
;
Professionalism
;
Social Support
;
Stress, Psychological
;
Students, Medical
;
psychology
;
Surveys and Questionnaires
10.Developing a Prediction Model for Family Health in Families of Patients with Schizophrenia
Kuem Sun HAN ; Yeong Seon HONG ; Hyuncheol KANG ; Youn Hee ROH ; Myung Sook CHOI ; Hee Jin MOON
Journal of Korean Academy of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing 2019;28(4):309-320
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify factors related to family health and develop a prediction model with an ability to explain family health in families of patients with schizophrenia.METHODS: A hypothesized model with twelve pathway forms was developed based on literature review. Family stress and social stigma were included as two exogenous variables; whereas family resilience, family empowerment, self-esteem, community integration, and family health were included as endogenous variables. Data were collected using a self-report questionnaire from 206 families of patients with schizophrenia living in Republic of Korea. Data were analyzed with PASW/WIN 18.0 and AMOS 18.0 programs.RESULTS: Social stigma had a negatively indirect and total effect on family health. Family resilience, self-esteem, and community integration had positive and direct and overall effects on family health.CONCLUSION: A prediction model for families of patients with schizophrenia is proposed and social stigma, family resilience, self-esteem, and community integration are presented as predicting factors for family health. Nursing interventions and support programs should be developed to overcome social stigma and improve family resilience, self-esteem, and community integration.
Community Integration
;
Family Health
;
Humans
;
Nursing
;
Power (Psychology)
;
Republic of Korea
;
Schizophrenia
;
Social Stigma

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